Albany Landfill Gas Project

Albany Landfill Gas Project is a waste sector emissions reduction project located at the Hanrahan Road Waste Facility, approximately 4km west of the Albany city centre in Western Australia. Registered on June 11, 2024, the project is operated by LMS Energy Pty Ltd. While the specific project area size is not publicly detailed, the facility serves as the primary waste management site for the City of Albany. The surrounding region is characterized by mixed land use, including industrial zones, residential areas, and broader agricultural activities such as grazing and forestry further inland.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Landfill Gas) Methodology Determination 2015. This methodology involves the installation of a gas collection system, comprising wells and pipes, to capture methane generated by the decomposition of organic waste. Instead of venting this potent greenhouse gas into the atmosphere, it is combusted (flared) or used to generate electricity, converting the methane into carbon dioxide and significantly lowering its global warming potential.

Environmentally, the Albany region experiences a Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The area typically receives high rainfall compared to inland Western Australia, averaging over 900mm annually. Soils in the vicinity of the waste facility are generally characterized as sandy duplex soils or lateritic gravels, often found over a clay or granite base common to the Great Southern region.

Interesting notes regarding this project include its partnership context; the City of Albany awarded the contract to LMS Energy in early 2024, marking the first time greenhouse gas emissions have been captured at this specific site. LMS Energy engineered and manufactured the biogas flare in-house. The system is projected to destroy up to 850,000 cubic metres of methane annually, which the proponent equates to removing approximately 7,500 cars from the road.